Players’ perceptions of, and engagement with, the GameSense responsible gambling program in Massachusetts casinos

Abstract

ABSTRACT Given the risk and prevalence of excessive gambling, stakeholders have developed educational resources and tools to promote responsible gambling (RG) and minimize gambling-related harms. However, the effectiveness of such programs relies on players’ awareness of, and their engagement with, such programming. This research investigated factors that influence player engagement with the GameSense RG program. We surveyed 1109 regular players across three casinos in Massachusetts where GameSense is used. We found that most players (73.1%) were aware of GameSense and that 17.6% had engaged with the program. In terms of reasons for visiting a Center, Latent Class Analysis revealed two distinct classes: ’Information Seekers’ and ”Curiosity and Swag Inspired’. As for those who had yet to visit a Center, three classes emerged: ‘Invitation Responsive’, ‘Self-Assured Non-Believers’, and ‘Self-Assured’. Although GameSense is for the broad spectrum of gamblers, we found that players who engaged in more RG behaviors were less likely to engage with the program. The results suggest encouraging all players to engage with GameSense may be a challenge. Efforts are needed to increase awareness and engagement of the program across the broad spectrum of gamblers.